Saskiahasalwayshada verystrongsense
ofcommunity,andformany,sheis like
family.Sheintuitivelyunderstandseach
ofherclients’needsandgenuinelywants
tomakepeoplehappy.Saskiais anartist;
herpracticeofmakingtablesandspaces
beautifulplaysa vitalrolein theoverall
successofa spaceorevent.We’vebeen
greatfriendsandcollaboratorsforalmost
20 years,andloveworkshoppingoursmallbusinessestogether.
Most importantly, you can always feel her warm heart in her work.F
lowersmanagetointersectourlivesat the
truepeaksandtroughs.Theoneperson
whoknowsthisalltoowellis floristSaskia
HavekesofGrandiflorainSydney’sPotts
Point.“It’squiteoverwhelmingwhenyouread
what’sgoingonineveryone’slives,”saysHavekes.
“Youfeelhonouredtopassonthesemessages.
Wedipintopeople’sworldsfora bit,andget
a bird’seyeviewofthesemoments.”
Havekesstartedoutinadvertisingbefore
venturingintotheworldoffloristry,butflowers
havebeena constantinherlife.“I’vealwaysbeen
absolutelycrazyaboutflowers,”shesays.“Myfather
wasa painter– wealwayshadbeautifulstill-life
imageryandflowersaroundus.”Aftera four-year
stintinNewYork,Havekesreturned
toSydneyandenrolledina full-time
intensivefloristrycourse.Fromhere
shefoundworkexperiencewith
AlisonCoates,a florist-turned-
sculptorandmentor,before
branchingouttoworkingardens
andat themarkets.“I couldnotget
enough:thesmells,thesights,the
scale,”shesays.Fiveyearsonshe
metEvaSeltnerandtogetherthey
openedtheirshopinPottsPoint,in
a formerLawrencedrycleaners.“Everyonesaid,
‘You’recrazy,there’snothingthere,’butwejust
wentforit.”Havekesalsofoundoutshewaspregnant
withherfirstdaughterjustbeforetheshopopened.
“I lookbackonthosetimesandwonderhowthe
hellI didit,”shesays.“ButI did,andI learnta lot.”
SinceopeningGrandiflora,Havekes’sachievements
have wildly outgrown the shop. From fashion showswithZimmermanninNewYorkandDriesVanNoten
inSingapore,tocelebratinglandmarkmomentswith
herfriendandcollaboratorKylieKwong.Shehas
alsoworkedwithfloralrockstarslikeJeffLeatham
onactorEvaLongoria’swedding.Havekeshasforged
herownnameasAustralianfloralroyalty,writingfour
books,creatingherownperfumerangeandopening
GrandifloraoutpostsinPerthandSingapore.
BackinSydney,Havekes’seldestdaughterGinger
nowworksat Grandiflorafull-time,too.“It’sbeen
lovelyandchallenging.ButI’mupforthegrowth.
It’snotalwayslikeTheSoundof Music– butthat’s
thebeautyofit.”Timespentinoroutoftheshop
withGingerandherseconddaughter,Sunday,is
whatHavekesvaluesthemost.
Beyondherdaughters,Havekes’sreliablegrowers
at themarketarelikea familyfold– it’sa relationship
shehasbeengrowingfor 25 years.Threetimesa
weekshe’supat 3.50amtoheadouttotheSydney
FlowerMarketsinFlemington.“I rarelypassmy
markettriptoanyoneelse,”shesays.“I liketobe
theremyself.Mygrowersknowallaboutmyfamily,
I knowallabouttheirs.”Likewise,theGrandiflora
staffarefamilytoHavekes.“They’regreatsupport
anda soundingboard.”
Havekesalsounderstandstheprofoundjoyflowers
bringtofamilies,whichis partofwhyshedeveloped
REFlora.Thesustainableconcepttakesflowersfrom
large-scale eventsandrepurposesthemintoposiesand
bouquetstobedeliveredtonursing
homes,women’srefugesandschools.
Havekeswasinspiredafterseeing
a similarconceptwhileworkingat
NewYorkFashionWeek,andalso
tookcuesmorelocallyfromRonni
Kahn’sworkwithOzHarvest.Now,
Grandifloraofferstherepurposing
offlowersforallevents.“We’vehad
themostbeautifulfeedback,especially
fromnursinghomes.Flowersare
a greatconnectorfortheelderly.”
Nomatterthenatureofherwork,Havekes
managestoreachtheheartsofpeople,beit through
ambitiouslarge-scaleartisticinstallations,bold
bouquetstopunctuateintimatepersonalmilestones
orrepurposedcolourfulposiesfortheelderly.
Havekescontinuestopushtheboundariesof
floristry,allwhileensuringeacharrangementis
as important and beautiful as the last.●“Ilookback
onthosetimes
and wonderhow
thehellI didit.
ButI did,and
I learnt a lot.”GOURMET TRAVELLER 45WORDS
JORDAN
KRETCHMER
(MAIN)
&
KYLIE
KWONG (INTRODUCTION). PHOTOGRAPHY PENNY LANE (KYLIE KWONG)
& VICTORIA ZSCHOMMLER (SASKIA HAVEKES).